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الية
THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1983
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THE PARTY THEN PROCEEDED BY CAR TO CENTRAL AND WESTERN, MAKING A BRIEF CALL AT THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S WESTERN DISTRICT COMMUNITY CENTRE WHICH PROVIDES A RANGE OF SERVICES ON COMMUNITY WORK, REHABILITATION AND FAMILY CASEWORK TO RESIDENTS.
MR AKERS-JONES ALSO JOINED THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE AT THE +POOR MAN'S NIGHTCLUB+ OUTSIDE THE TEMPORARY MACAU FERRY TERMINAL A POPULAR SHOPPING BAZAAR WHICH COMES ALIVE IN THE EVENING WITH HUNDREDS OF FOOD STALLS AND SHOPPING STALLS OFFERING A VARIETY OF BARGAIN GOODS.
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SEAT BELT DEADLINE APPROACHING
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THERE ARE ONLY 10 WEEKS LEFT BEFORE DRIVERS AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS IN CARS AND CERTAIN LIGHT VANS MUST WEAR SEAT BELTS BY LAW.
A TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT FAILURE TO WEAR A BELT AFTER OCTOBER 1 COULD LEAD TO A $500 FINE AND IMPRISONMENT FOR UP TO THREE MONTHS ON FIRST CONVICTION.
+BUT IT IS NOT THE FEAR OF PUNISHMENT THAT SHOULD CONVINCE PEOPLE TO WEAR BELTS. EACH YEAR MORE THAN 4 000 CAR DRIVERS AND FRONT SEAT PASSENGERS ARE KILLED OR INJURED ON HONG KONG'S ROADS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
+THERE SEEMS TO BE AN IMPRESSION THAT BECAUSE OUR TRAFFIC IS OFTEN RELATIVELY SLOW MOVING, THERE IS LESS NEED TO WEAR A SEAT BELT HERE THAN ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD. THIS IS JUST NOT THE CASE. EVEN IF TWO VEHICLES TRAVEL AT ONLY 15 MILES AN HOUR, THE IR COMBINED IMPACT SPEED IN A HEAD-ON CRASH IS 30 MILES AN HOUR.
+THIS HAS ABOUT THE SAME EFFECT AS WHEN A PERSON FALLS HEAD-FIRST FROM THE THIRD-FLOOR WINDOW OF A BUILDING INTO A SHEET OF PLATE GLASS, + HE SAID.
IN HONG KONG FRONT-SEAT BELTS HAVE HAD TO BE FITTED IN CARS SINCE 1976.
THE LAW STATES THAT FROM OCTOBER 1, THEY MUST NOT ONLY BE FITTED, BUT ALSO BE WORN.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT WEARING A SEAT BELT REDUCES THE CHANCE OF DEATH OR INJURY IN A CRASH BY MORE THAN HALF.
IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THE WEARING OF SEAT BELTS HAS BEEN COMPULSORY SINCE JANUARY 1 THIS YEAR.
THE NEW REQUIREMENT IN HONG KONG ALSO APPLIES TO DUAL PURPOSE LIGHT VANS WHICH ARE REGISTERED AS PRIVATE CARS.
THE RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE THAT SEAT BELTS ARE WORN RESTS WITH THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE AND WITH INDIVIDUAL PASSENGERS OVER 15 YEARS OF AGE.
+ALTHOUGH THE LAW IS NOT YET IN EFFECT, PEOPLE SHOULD ALREADY BE WEARING THEIR BELTS. PLAIN COMMON SENSE SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO CONVINCE THEM THAT SEAT BELTS SAVE LIVES,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
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